Turbine mechanism for driving the fuel pumps of rockets



2 SllEETS-SHEET l A. CHILTON TURBINE MECHANISM FOR DRIVING Feb. 12, 1952 l THE FUEL PUMPS oF RocKETs Filed sept. 19, 1947 INVENTOR ALLAN :HIL-ruN BY WM; 3.6.1

ATTO'JNEY Feb. 12, 1952 A C v 2,585,626

HILTON TURBINE MECHANISM FOR DRIVING THE FUEL PUMPS OF ROCKETS Filed Sept. 19, 1947 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 W h v' m INVENTOR gg ALLAN EHILTUN. NQ ,u M i s BY m L-. $4 i lo* ATTORNEY Passed Feb. 12, 1952 TURBINE MECHANISM FOR DRIVING THE FUEL PUMPS OF ROCKETS Allanv Chilton, Ridgewood, N. J., assigner to.

Curtiss-Wright Corporation, a corporation of f Delaware Application September 19, 1947, Serial No. 774,992

4 Claims. (Cl. Bti-35.6)

This invention relates to rocket power plants and is particularly directed to means for supplying one or more of the elements of combustion mixture to the rocket combustion chamber. The combustion mixture of a rocket power plant generally comprises a fuel such as gasoline or alcohol and an oxidizing agent such as liquid oxygen. Such fuels and oxidizing agents or equivalent substances are herein termed combustion agents.

One of the problems in the design of a rocket power plant using liquid combustion agents is the provision of means forA forcing or pumping the combustion agents into the combustion chamber of the rocket power plant. In most small rocket power plants this has been accomplished by means of pressure bottles, each containing acombustion agent under pressure. However, this pressured bottle system is quite cumbersome for the larger rocket power plants. An object of .the invention comprises the provision 7of a novel and simple means for pumping one or more of the combustion agents into the combustion chamber of a rocket power plant. Specifically this feature of the invention comprises a rocket power plant including a turbine drivably connected to means for pumping the combustion agents into the combustion chamber of said power plant, said turbine being driven by the rocket combustion gases in such a way as not to materially affect the overall eicency of the rocket power plant.

A further object of the invention comprises the addition of means for cooling the combustion gases driving said turbine without cooling the combustion gases in the combustion chamber of said rocket power plant. This feature of the invention comprises means for generating steam from the heat of the combustion gases supplied to said turbine and utilizing said steam to help drive said turbine. A vstill further object of the invention comprises means to increase the pressure at the inlet side of said combustion agent pumps by pressurizing the combustion agent storage containers by a pressure derived from the pressure of the rocket combustion gases.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent upon reading the annexed detailed description in connection with the drawing in which:

Figure l is a sectional view through power plant embodying the invention;

Figure 2 is an end view of the rocket power plant taken along line 2-2 of Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is a side view partly in section illusa rocket `posedfuel pumps 48 and 50 bustion chamber I6 having a rearwardly directed discharge opening I8. In addition the housing I4 is formed to provide an auxiliary chamber 20 co-axial with the chamber I6 and communicating therewith through a small orifice 22. The forward end of the auxiliary chamber 20 is closed by a cover member 24 and a turbine rotor 26 is supported in said chamber by means of bearings 28.

The turbine rotor 26 is provided with blades 30. Suitable guidevanes 32 are supported within the auxiliary chamber 20 for directing combustion gases against said rotor blades 30 for driving the turbine rotor 26. From the turbine blades 30 said combustion gases exhaust into a ring 34 communicating with a rearwardly extending exhaust duct 36. The exhaust duct 36 communicates with an annular exhaust manifold 38 carried on .the inside of the rocket shell I2. A plurality of discharge openings 40 are formed in the manifold 38 through which the exhaust gases discharge into the surrounding atmosphere. The openings 40 are formed in the manifold 38 by iiaps 42 projecting therefrom beyond the shell I2.

The turbine rotor 26 is formed rigid with a shaft 44 which extends forwardly and 'is connected to a bevel gear 46. The bevel gear 46 is drivably connected to a pair of diametrically op- (see Figure 2) through bevel gears 41, one of which can be seen in Figure l. The pumps 48 and 50 when driven by the turbine 26 supply the combustion agents to the rocket combustion chamber I6. The pump 48 is provided with a conduit 52 through which a combustion agent-such as gasolineis supplied from a suitable storage container. The pump 48 delivers said combustion agent to a pair of conduits 54 and 56. The conduit 54 extends to the rear portion of the rocket power plant into communication withv spiral grooves 58 formed about the rocket housing I4. The forward ends ofsuch spiral grooves terminate in an annulus communicating with a plurality of nozzles 62 through which the combustion agent, delivered by the pump 48, discharges into the rocket combustion chamber I8. In this way the liquid combustion agent ilowing along the .rality of nozzles 82.

'I'he pump 88 is provided with a conduit 88 through which a combustion agent such as liquid oxygen is supplied from a suitable storage container. 'Ihe pump 58 delivers said combustion agent toV a conduit 18 and a manifold 12 from which it is supplied to a plurality of nozzles 'I4 into the rocket combustion chamber I8.

For starting purposes, a suitable electric starter motor 'I5 may be arranged for driving the turbine rotor 28and pumps l48 and 58 whereupon the combustion agents are supplied to the rocket combustion chamber I8 by said pumps. The mixture of the combustion'agents, such as gasoline and liquid oxygen, generally ignites spontaneously. However. if desired or necessary, suitable ignition means-#such as a conventional electric spark-gap-may be provided in the combustion chamber I8. This starting apparatus forms no part of the present invention and therefor no further description of said apparatus is deemed necessary. I

Upon combustion in the rocket chamber I8, the combustion gases discharge. rearwardly through the discharge opening I8 to provide the rocket with forward thrust. In addition a small percentage of the gases expands into the auxiliary chamber 28 through the orifice 22. From the auxiliary chamber 28 the gaseslare directed against the rotor blades 38 by the stator vanes 82 thereby driving the turbine rotor 28 and the pumps 48 and 58. -The turbine exhaust gases discharge through the exhaust conduit 38 and manifold 88 out through the openings 48. Because of the high speed operation of the rocket,

the air flow over the projecting flaps 42 produces a substantial reduction in pressure on the downstream sides of said flaps at the openings 48. 'I'his reduction in the exhaust discharge pressure of the turbine increases the pressure difference across the turbine rotor blades 38 thereby increasing the power output of the turbine. The size of the orifice 22 determines the power supplied to and therefore the power output of the turbine 28.

The size of the orifice 22 is sufficiently small so that said orifice oilers more resistance to flow therethrough into the auxiliary chamber 28 than the resistance to flow from said chamber offered by the turbine' and the turbine exhaust passage. Therefore the combustion gases expand into the auxiliary chamber 28 through the orifice 22 wher/eby the temperature of the combustion gases in the auxiliary chamber .28 is less than' the temperature of the combustion gases in the rocket combustion chamber ,I8. However, with the aforedescribed construction and for a particular rocket powerl plant, the temperature of the combustion gases within the auxiliary chamber 28 may be too high for safe operation of the turbine. Accordingly, means may be provided for reducing the temperatures of the exhaust gases within the auxiliary chamber 28 4 without affecting the temperature of the gases within the rocket combustion chamber.

In order to reduce the temperature of the gases within the auxiliary chamber, a steam generator is provided within the chamber 28. As illustrated the steam generator comprises a pair of spaced coils 88 and 82, each communicating at one end with a chamber 84 formed at the rear end of the turbine shaft 44. The other ends of the coils 88 and 82 are provided with a plurality of nozzles 88 from which the steam, generated in said coils, discharges into the auxiliary chamber 28 toward the varies 82. The turbine shaft 4'4 is made hollow and extends forwardly to drive a .water pump 88. The discharge side of the pump 88 communicates with the interior of the hollow shaft 44 through a conduit 88. Water is further cooling said gases.

supplied to the pump 88 through a. conduit82 communicating with an annular water supply tank 94. The water supply tank is supported within the rocket shell I2 forwardly of the power plant I8, whereby there always is a head of water on the water pump 88 as the rocket rises.

With this arrangement of the water pump 88 and associated steam generator, the pump 88 is driven by the turbine rotor 28 and supplies water to the steam generator coils 88 and 82 through the hollow turbine shaft 44. The water in the coils 88 and 82 is heated by the'combustion gases within the auxiliary chamber 28 thereby cooling said gases. The coils 88 and 82 act as a flash steam boiler turning water into steam at `their discharge nozzles 88. The steam discharging from the nozzles 88 mixes with the combustion gases within the auxiliary chamber 28 thereby 'Ihe mixtures of steam and combustion gases is directed against the turbine rotor blades by the guide vanes 32 to drive the turbine rotor 28.

Figure 3 is a side view of the rocket power s plant of Figure 1 without the outer rocket shell ing a core |88 of heat insulating material. The

combustion agent is stored yin the container |88 on one side of the partition |84 and the other side of said partition communicates with `a selected portion of the rocket combustion chamber through a conduit |88. In this way gas pressure within the rocket combustion chamber is transmitted through the conduit |88 thereby pressurizing the combustion agent stored in the container |88. This pressure on thc combustion j agent in the container |88 helps the pump 48 supply said agent to 'said combustion chamber. The storage container |82 is similarly pressurized although not necesarily from the same portion or the rocket combustion chamber I8. Thus, as illustrated, the storage container |82 is provided with a slidable partition I|8 having one side communicating with a portion of the discharge opening I8 of the rocket combustion chamber I8 through a conduit II2. The location of the combustion chamber ends of the conduitsA |88 and I|2 depends on the extent to which it is desired to pressurize their respective containers |88 and |82.

While I have described my invention iny detail in its present preferred embodiment, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art, after understanding my invention, that various changes and modiiications may be made therein without departing from the spirit or scope thereof. I aim in the appended claims to cover such modications.

I claim as my invention: l

1. In a rocket type power plant, a combustion chamber having a nozzle through which the combustion gases discharge for providing said power plant with propulsive thrust; pump means for :supplying a combustion agent to said chamber;

an auxiliary chamber; a passageway providing restricted communication between said chambers through which a portion of the combustion gases expand from said combustion chamber into said auxiliary chamber; passage means disposed in heat exchange relation with combustion gases in said auxiliary chamber, said passage means having an opening communicating with said chamber, pump means for circulating a relatively cool liquid through said passage means and through said opening into said auxiliary chamber, at least a portion of said liquid being vaporized by the heat of the combustion gases within said auxiliary chamber; a turbine arranged to be driven by the gases discharging from said auxiliary chamber; and means drivably connecting both of said pump means to said turbine.

2. In a rocket type power plant, a combustion chamber having a nozzle through which the combustion gases discharge for providing said power plant with propulsive thrust; pump means for supplying a combustion agent to said chamber; an auxiliary chamber; a passageway providing restricted communication between said chambers through which a portion of the combustion gases expand from said combustion chamber into said auxiliary chamber; a coiled conduit disposed in said auxiliary chamber and having a discharge opening therein; pump means for circulating a relatively cool liquid through said passage means and through said opening into said auxiliary chamber, at least a portion of said liquid being vaporized by the heat of the combustion gases within said auxiliary chamber; a turbine arranged to be driven by the gases discharging from said auxiliary chamber; and means drivably connecting both said pump means to said turbine.

3. In a rocket type power plant, a combustion chamber having a nozzle through which the combustion gases discharge for providing said power plant with propulsive thrust; a storage tank for a combustion agent; a passageway between said tank and combustion chamber; pump means in said passageway for supplying said combustion agent from said tank to said chamber; means for pressurizing said tank with a pressure of combustion gases obtained from said combustion chamber; an auxiliary chamber; a passageway providing restricted communication between said chambers through which a portion of the combustion gases expand from said combustion chamber into said auxiliary chamber; passage means disposed in heat exchange relation with combustion gases in said auxiliary chamber, said passage means having an opening communicating with said chamber, pump means for circulating a relatively cool liquid through said passage means and through said opening into said auxiliary chamber, at least a portion of said liquid being vaporized by the heat of the combustion gases within said auxiliary chamber; a turbine arranged to be driven by the gases discharging from said auxiliary chamber; and means drivably connecting both of said pump means to said turbine.

4. In a rocket type power plant, a combustion chamber having a nozzle at one end through which the combustion gases discharge for providing said power plant with propulsive thrust; pump means for supplying a combustion agent to said chamber; an auxiliary chamber disposed adjacent to the other end of combustion chamber and having an annular discharge nozzle co-axial with but directed oppositely to said combustion chamber nozzle; a passageway co-axial with said nozzles and providing restricted communication between said chambers for expansion of combustion gases from said combustion chamber into said auxiliary chamber; passage means disposed in heat exchange relation with combustion gases in said auxiliary chamber, said passage means having an opening communicating with said chamber; pump means for circulating a relatively cool liquid through said passage means and through said opening into said auxiliary chamber, at least a portion of said liquid being vaporized by the heat of the combustion gases within said auxiliary chamber; a turbine arranged to be driven by the gases discharging through said annular nozzle of the auxiliary chamber; and means drivably connecting both said pump means to said turbine.

ALLAN CHILTON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the ille of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,806,133 Thomas May 19, 1931 2,395,113 Goddard Feb. 19, 1946 2,407,852 Smith Sept. 17, 1946 2,408,111 Traux et al. Sept. 34, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country y Date 522,163 France Mar. 22. 1921 625,104 France Apr. 19, 1927 374,663 Italy Sept. 4, 1939 

